Sex After Hip and Knee Replacement: Better Than Before, Study Finds

By Erin Hicks, Everyday Health Staff Writer

Though not many patients talk about their sexual difficulties related to arthritis pain, a small new study finds hip and knee replacement surgery may significantly improve the bedroom experience for many patients.

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TUESDAY, March 19, 2013 — Osteoarthritis doesn’t just make your joints hurt — it can also take a toll on your sex life.

But for some with arthritis, there may be a way to make sexual activity more appealing again. In a small new study, researchers found that total hip or knee replacement surgery improved overall sexual function in 90 percent of patients, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthapaedic Surgeons.

Unfortunately, arthritis patients often don't mention their sexual challenges to their doctors, said study co-author Jose A. Rodriguez, MD, Director, Center for Joint Preservation and Reconstruction at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“The complaint isn’t common for societal reasons, but it is a common experience. People don’t bring it up — the doctor doesn’t bring it up, the patient doesn’t bring it up. It’s there, it’s the elephant in the room, but people don’t want to talk about it,” said Dr. Rodriguez.

For the study, 147 participants were recruited via a survey before their joint replacement surgery; 116 participants filled out additional surveys six months and a year after surgery. The mean age of patients was about 58, and 69 were male and 78 were female. Here are some key facts from the survey conducted before surgery:

One negative result: 16 percent of patients reported their surgery adversely affected their sexual function, with the majority of those saying they were afraid of damaging their replaced joints.

The fear of damaging the replacement is unfounded, said Rodriguez. “Sometimes with hip replacements patients are worried about dislocation. Certain positions are adverse, but only for the first few weeks, and as for doing damage to the implant itself, that won’t happen... The overwhelming majority of sexual positions are not ones that cause hip dislocation."

Overall, Rodriguez said, the study is important because, unlike others on the subject, it gathered information from patients asking the same questions before surgery, and then six months and a year later.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that that aspect of their life that is impaired does get better. People presume things will get better, but now there’s clear representation that it gets better, and in large numbers,” he said.

Living With Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis pain is caused by the loss of cartilage that protects the ends of bones on both sides of your joints. Pain gets worse when you use the joint and better when you rest it. It is the most common cause of persistent knee pain in people over the age of 45.

If you have osteoarthritis but aren’t quite ready for joint-replacement surgery, there are preventative measures you can take to avoid going under the knife. The best thing you can do is lose weight — in fact, many doctors say excess weight is the reason knee replacements are on the rise.

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